I definitely didn’t grow up in North America. And the culture in which I live, gender equality may be more prevalent.

I’m not a stranger to the idiom of picking on someone your own size. Thing is, though: I don’t think anyone should be picking on anybody else, at all.

While I don’t disagree that there are physiological differences between men and women, jumping to the conclusion, that women can’t handle themselves, is just propagating the sexual stereotypes of our past generations, which has lead to women being considered weak and by extension thereof worth less than men.

Women are not weak by default, but keep telling a girl that she’s not able to do the same things as the boys, keep telling the girl to wear pink dresses and keep her hair long, keep telling her to play with dolls and let her bother’s matchbox cars and BB gun be. Keep telling her, that good girls don’t play wild games, and that little girl will start to believe you more than she believes in herself.

Through my job I’ve gotten know female carpenters, painters, electricians, machinists, mechanics, butchers, truck drivers, and smiths. All trades typically considered to be male trades, but these young women I’ve met, have been as motivated, as big assets for their employers, and as hard working, as their male colleagues.

Telling a woman that you won’t hit her, no matter what she does to you, is keeping her down, locked into that inane stereotypical gender role.

And if you don’t buy my shoelace analogy, then how about this: a guy tells you “oh no, I wouldn’t dream of hitting you, not under any circumstance. You’re too weak and defenseless, it wouldn’t be fair.” How would you like that? I’d bet you’d like that guy to fuck right off with his superior attitude.